


a Run-in with Death

by Kretolus



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angela is a doctor, Angst, Blood, Blood and Injury, F/F, Fareeha is a police officer, Major Character Injury, so are Hanzo and McCree
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 18:35:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13576533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kretolus/pseuds/Kretolus
Summary: Angela cuts through the park as she's heading home to her wife from her late shift at the hospital, but an unexpected encounter ruins any plans she might have had.





	a Run-in with Death

**Author's Note:**

> A quick one-shot to help me get into the swing of things after a major break in writing due to personal stuff. I am still not quite done with everything, but will hopefully have time to get on with my other stories.
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm not a medical professional or anything so feel free to correct me.  
> Disclaimer disclaimer: Also goes for grammar or typos and stuff like that. I'm not an English professional either.

Angela lifted her hand to her mouth to cover her yawn, trying to blink away the tiredness. The gravel path crunched under her feet as she strode through the dimly lit park, heading home after a long shift at the hospital.

It was not a route she normally took, but it was shorter, and she was desperate to return home and snuggle up to her wife, finally able to rest after the exhausting day. The chilly air and light wind were only spurring her on.

Besides, the quiet rustle of the trees and the rhythmic crunch of gravel was putting her mind at ease.

She barely noticed the group standing by the side of the path. Not until one of them blocked her way so suddenly she almost bumped into him. Managing to stop herself and take a step back she looked up at the man.

He was tall, with wide shoulders and bulging muscles, and a face that was traditionally handsome. Angela sighed quietly, knowing what was coming next. An arrogant type, used to getting any girl he wants, with an audience of friends to cheer him on.

“Where are you rushing to, blondie?” He asked. Ordinarily Angela would find the sound of his voice quite pleasant, but the situation and the cocky tone only made it grate on her mind. “A pretty girl like you’s got places to be, huh?”

“As a matter of fact I do.” She replied coldly. “Now please let me through.” She tried to sidestep him, but he readjusted on her path to keep blocking it.

The man inhaled through his teeth, smirking. “Come now, there’s no need to be so rude. I just want to get to know you better.”

Before Angela could reply another noise drew the group’s attention. Three strikes of metal against rock, that seemed to echo, almost unnaturally so, across the park.

A man stood slightly further up the path, the silver tip of his black cane making the noise as it struck a larger piece of cobble. A long, black coat covered most of his frame and a wide-brimmed fedora in the same color shielded most of his face from the light of the lantern. His hands, clad in black leather gloves rested on the silver head of his cane. Immediately Angela felt a sense of familiarity towards the man, as if he knew him well. But try as she might, she couldn’t quite place him.

“Gentlemen.” He spoke, his voice soft and raspy, betraying his advanced age. “Leave the good doctor alone. She had a tough day at work and besides,” he raised his head revealing a grey beard framing his wrinkled face, and strands of white hair, flowing slicked back from under his hat, “me and her have business.”

“You hear that guys?” The man that blocked Angela chuckled, glancing at his friends. “The old dude has business with the pretty blonde.” He turned back towards the stranger and took a step forward, cracking his knuckles. “How about your business waits until  _ my _ business is done.” He lifted one of his fists in a threatening gesture.

“Didn’t your mother teach you not to raise your hand on your elders?” Angela could see the old man smirk confidently, and for some reason it made chills run down her spine. “It might just wither, and  _ die _ .”

The man opened his mouth to speak but it suddenly turned into a pained yell as he grasped at his hand. As he turned, Angela could see the skin on his arm darkening, the muscles seeming atrophying within seconds as more and more it started to resemble the arm of an ancient mummy. The man screamed in pain, and after throwing a final terrified glance at the stranger, he run off, the entire group of his companions following after him just as fast.

Angela stared dumbfounded after them, trying to comprehend what had just happened. By the time she turned back to the stranger she realized he had already approached her.

“Pathetic little things.” He mused calmly, looking after the escaping group disappearing down the path. His gaze then turned to Angela, and the coldest blue eyes she had ever seen locked on hers. “Doctor Ziegler.” He nodded slightly. “We finally meet.” He smiled. “Well, properly at least.”

“Who are you?” Angela asked, taking a step back as there was something deeply unsettling in the stranger’s presence. “How do you know me?”

The man chuckled darkly. “Oh, I would think you know me quite well, my dear doctor. After all, you have taken so many out of my reach. Some even straight from my clutches.”

Angela frowned, pondering his words for a moment. “Are you trying to say you’re death?”

The stranger chuckled again. “Oh, I’m not  _ trying _ . I  _ am  _ saying I’m Death.” He tipped his hat to her. “And I’m sure you feel that I’m being truthful.”

That much was true. The unsettling feeling. The familiarity. It all fell into place.

Death itself stood before her, something she spent her days delaying for all kinds of people. And it just stood there, in the middle of the park, talking to her as if it was no big deal.

Angela swallowed as another realization dawned on her, paling slightly and taking a step back. “You said we had business together. Are you here to take me away?”

“No, it’s not quite the time for that, I’m afraid.” Death smiled, shaking his head. “Although, you are not far from the truth.”

“What does that mean?” Angela tried to hide the panic that started to grip at her mind, as it raced through all the reasons Death itself could have for talking to her.

“Well, me dear doctor, I figured you deserve a… warning.” He ran a hand through his beard. “You are well on your way to become someone who has directly, or indirectly, saved the most lives from me. Or at least delayed my coming the longest.” He nodded, smiling. “Quite an achievement, I must say. Your nanomachine therapy is very interesting.”

“T-thank you.” Angela replied, swallowing again. “So are you here to warn me to stop?”

Death let out an amused huff. “Oh no no, my dear doctor, nothing like that. In my long years I’ve found that having competent… opponents made,” he paused briefly, before smiling widely, “ _ life _ much more exciting. No, I’m here for a different purpose entirely. I’m here because I felt a calling from your home not too long ago.”

Angela’s eyes widened impossibly, all colour draining from her face. “W-what?” She stammered out, looking past the man, down the path leading towards her apartment. An apartment she shared with only one other person.

“Oh yes, a tragedy that. One that has the potential to break you. And I would hate to lose such a capable adversary.” He smirked, looking behind him briefly before catching Angela’s gaze again. “I wonder which one of us will get there first.”

His chuckle echoed through the park, as his form turned more ethereal, seemingly breaking apart because of the wind, wisps of black smoke taken away by the currents of air.

Angela blinked hard, paralyzed for just a brief moment as her mind processed his words.

Then she broke into a sprint, the thought of reaching home in time spurring her on.

### 

She didn’t remember anything from her way home. All she knew that it was the fastest she had ever run in her life, the adrenaline flowing through her veins making her head spin. She bounded up the stairs, and turned, seeing the door to her apartment open, registering a familiar form standing in the hall.

A form that was not Fareeha.

“... an ambulance here, and fast.” Jesse McCree, Fareeha’s friend and colleague from the Police Force, spoke into his phone, his voice laced with his thick accent.

Angela tuned out the rest, the word ambulance making her rush forward even more. She burst through the door, pushing past the man before he could even realize what happened.

The scene in the living room made her pause, wide eyes scanning across it. Two bodies lying face down in pools of their own blood, the thick red liquid staining the floor.

And Fareeha, slumped back against the far wall, head hanging loosely down, shirt stained with blood. Hanzo kneeling next to her, hand pressed against her chest, the handle of a knife poking out from between his fingers.

“Reeha!” Angela yelled out, crossing the room and skidding to her knees next to her wife, tears starting to stream down her face. “Oh my god, Reeha.” She instinctively reached out to check her pulse, a gesture not needed since Hanzo was trying to stem the bleeding and Jesse calling the ambulance. But still, it helped her steady herself when she felt Fareeha’s breathing. “What happened?” She asked Hanzo, expert fingers taking over putting pressure on the wound.

“These two got out recently.” He gestured to the two bodies before reaching for some tissues and trying to wipe the blood from his fingers. “Fareeha put them behind bars, seems they carried a grudge. Neighbours heard the commotion and called us.”

Angela only nodded, her attention more focused on keeping her wife alive.“There is a medkit in the kitchen. Grab it and bring it to me.” Angela said, trying to make her voice as steady and professional as possible. Fareeha didn’t need her wife now. She needed a doctor.

Hanzo nodded, getting to his feet and leaving or the kitchen.

A thoughtful hum snapped Angela’s attention. “Stubborn, this one. Like any Amari. Always clinging to life against impossible odds.” Death was kneeling where Hanzo was just a moment ago, a smirk twisting his mouth. “But will it be enough this time, I wonder.”

“I’m not letting you take her away from me.” Angela snarled, anger swelling within her.

The man chuckled darkly. “I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.”

“Here’s the medkit.” Hanzo’s voice turned Angela’s attention towards the police officer, and when she looked back, Death was gone.

She blinked a few times to get her mind back on track. “Thank you.” She said, gesturing for the man to set it down beside her. “We need to make sure the knife doesn’t move until it can be extracted.” She said, glancing down at the open case. “I’ll need your help with this, Hanzo.”

“Of course.” The man nodded, settling next to her.

### 

Angela was alone, washing her hands as the operating room was getting prepped. Exhaustion tucked at her mind, but she tried to pay it no attention. Instead she was focusing on steadying her hands as they refused to stop shaking.

“A bold move.” A voice startled her, a voice she didn’t want to hear. “How will you fare, I wonder. Holding your wife’s life in your hands. No one else but you to blame for any mistakes.” She looked up to see Death’s reflection in the mirror, as he stood behind her, smiling. “And how prone you are to make one. Exhausted, shaken.” He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. “How dangerous.”

“There is no one else, I have to do this.” Angela said, unsure if it was more to the man or herself. “There won’t be mistakes.”

Death’s smile widened. “We’ll see. I know I will be watching very carefully.” He stepped forward, standing just behind the doctor and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Because one mistake, and she’s  _ mine _ .” He laughed darkly, the laughter echoing in Angela’s mind even after he disappeared.

She wasn’t sure how long she stood there, her hands working automatically, scrubbing at each other. It was when a nurse came in, asking if she was ready to proceed that she snapped out of it.

She replaced her fear and uncertainty with determination and professional calm.

Death would not lay his clutches on Fareeha today.

Not if she had something to say about it.

### 

The steady beat of the heart monitor and Fareeha’s breathing were putting Angela to sleep. She clutched her wife’s hand, her thumb gently running small circles on it as she was losing her battle with exhaustion.

Still, she would not rest. Not until she was sure.

“Well done, my dear doctor.” Death’s voice startled her awake. The man was standing at the foot of Fareeha’s bed, glancing between the unconscious woman and Angela. “The call is all but gone. It would seem you’ve saved another life.”

“I told you I wouldn’t let you take her.” Angela replied, finally allowing herself a smile. Not an arrogant smile of a victor, but a relieved one, of someone whose wife turned out safe.

Death smiled, turning her gaze back to Fareeha. “If I really wished her dead, there would be nothing you could have done. Even now,” he raised his hand and turned his eyes to it, “with a snap of my fingers I could snuff out her life.” He looked at Angela, who was desperately trying to hide her fear and look defiant. “But that would be no fun. It’s much more entertaining watching you mortals struggle, knowing that day after day you get closer to meeting me. And seeing how different each and every reaction to that meeting is.”

Angela pondered his words for a moment. “It’s like you said. There is nothing that could be done about that. Only to make the life worth living.” She turned to look at Fareeha, reaching out to lovingly stroke the woman’s face. “And hope it turns out well.”

“Indeed.” Death chuckled. “Indeed.” He repeated, turning and walking towards the door, his cane clicking against the floor. He turned at the doorway, catching Angela’s gaze and tipping his hat to her. “Until next time, my dear doctor. Hopefully not too soon, hmm?”

Angela nodded respectfully, watching the man disappear behind the doorway. After a few moments passed she turned back to her wife and smiled. “Not too soon.” She whispered, folding her arms on the edge of the bed, still holding Fareeha’s hand, and resting her head on them. 

Uncaring for the discomfort.

Just wanting to be close to the person she loved most in the world. Promising herself to appreciate her even more.

After all, even Death itself knew that Fareeha was everything to her.

And so, as the beat of the heart monitor continued its steady flow, Angela finally allowed herself to close her eyes, letting exhaustion take her to the realm of dreams.


End file.
